2025 Annual Meeting Information & Important Dates

2025 Annual Chapter Meeting

Tennessee Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
2025 Annual Meeting
Feb 4-6, 2025
The Lodge at Pickwick State Park

Important Dates

 

 

Registration

Due by Jan 10th, 2025

  • Professional: $130 through January 10, $160 thereafter
  • Student and Retiree: $55 through January 10, $60 thereafter
  • Banquet only: $60 each

Please remember to also pay your annual dues of $10.

 

Visit https://tnafs.square.site/ to register OR send a check with subject line indicating payment intention to: 

Abbey Holsopple
175 Baylor School Rd
Chattanooga, TN 37405 

If anyone has registration questions or financial concerns (especially students) OR issues registering OR paying with the square store please contact Abbey Holsopple at aholsopple@tnaqua.org. 

 

 

Lodging

HOTEL RESERVATION CUTOFF is Friday, December 20th, 2024

A rate of $145 per standard double room has been negotiated with The Lodge at Pickwick Landing State Park. All those eligible for the government rate will receive it instead of our negotiated rate.  .  

You can either use the link provided below OR call the phone number below and reference TN American Fisheries Society.  

  • Book your lodging online here
  • Phone: (731) 689-3135 ext.0 and reference TN Chapter American Fisheries Society   
  • or 1-888-867-2757 and use code 45039

 

 

Abstract Submission

All abstracts can be submitted through this Google Form. Abstracts are due January 10th, 2025. 

We would like to announce two changes to the meeting structure regarding abstracts:

  • There will be no theme/symposium for this meeting
  • We are introducing “Lightning Talks” as a third option for presentation type. See below. 

Ways to present:

  • Oral Presentations*: Speakers will be given 15 minutes for talks (including time for questions and/or discussion).
  • Poster Presentations*: The poster session will be held after the business meeting on Wednesday, February 5th. Presenters will be provided with tacks or tape in which to hang their posters. 
  • Lightning Talks: Speakers are given 5 minutes (strictly enforced) for an oral presentation with no time for questions. Students and professionals can submit. There is no competition for this type of presentation.

    • For those of you who have some great ideas you want to connect with people on, are planning to do a project but don’t have any data yet, or if you just don’t have a full presentation, this is for you! 

*Students giving Oral and Poster Presentations will be entered into the student competition where 1st and 2nd place receive monetary prizes!

 

 

Continuing Education Workshops

TNAFS is proud to offer four continuing education courses at our annual meeting this year! Courses can be signed up for at our Square Store https://tnafs.square.site/ 

 

Workshop Schedule

  • Tuesday, February 4th
    • Workshop I:  Aquatic Macroinvertebrates  All day – 8:00-12:00 & 1:00-4:30
    • Workshop II:  eDNA – Part 1 – Sample Collection – 8:00-12:00 
    • Workshop II:  eDNA – Part 2 – Data Processing – 1:00-4:30 
  •  Wednesday, February 5th
    • Workshop III:  Mussel Identification – 8:00-12:00
    • Workshop IV:  Basic Fish ID – 8:00-12:00 

 

Workshop I:  Aquatic Macroinvertebrates
Tuesday – All day (8:00am-4:30pm)

  • Instructors: Justin Wolbert, Jenny Isham
  • Max number of attendees: 20
  • Cost for attendance: $35

Join us for an aquatic insect workshop at the TN AFS meeting. Aquatic insects play a significant role in the food web and are often used as biological indicators of stream conditions. We will discuss the basics of sampling and ecology then walk to a stream on State Park property to collect samples during the morning session. Then after lunch we will bring the samples back and identify them with microscopes in the afternoon session. Please bring your waders or muck boots for getting in the stream. Other supplies and gear will be provided.

 

Workshop II: eDNA – Part 1 (AM) & Part 2 (PM)

This two-part workshop offers a crash course on environmental DNA surveillance. Anyone with any level of experience is welcome, but the focus will be on those with little to no experience. Please email Robert Paine (rtpaine@tntech.edu) with any specific questions.

*You can register for Part 1 or Part 2, but in order to attend the full day workshop, you must register for both parts. *

eDNA Part 1 – Sample Collection (Tuesday AM – 8:00-12:00)

  • Instructor: Robert Paine
  • Max number of attendees: 20
  • Cost for attendance: $15

Morning Session – This session of the course will provide an overview of collecting different kinds of eDNA samples in the field, including different collection methods, tools, and protocols to reduce contamination. Participants will not be required to enter the water, but protective gear (i.e., waders, waterproof gloves) is recommended for participants wanting the full immersive experience.

eDNA Part 2 – Data Processing  (Tuesday PM – 1:00-4:30)

  • Instructor: Robert Paine
  • Max number of attendees: 20
  • Cost for attendance: $15

Afternoon Session – This session will offer an overview of quantitative PCR (for single species detection) and a chance to practice metabarcoding bioinformatics (for multi-species detection). Participants will need to bring their own laptops for the afternoon session. Please plan to download the following program for the metabarcoding bioinformatics before you arrive to the workshop: (https://github.com/mothur/mothur/releases/tag/v1.48.1). Additionally, participants will need Notepad/Notepad++ or Excel. 

 

Workshop III:  Mussel Identification (Wed AM, 8:00 – 12:00)

  • Instructor: Amanda Rosenberger
  • Max number of attendees: 20
  • Cost for attendance: $25

This course will focus on both the ecology and identification of Tennessee freshwater mussels. Please email Amanda Rosenberger at arosenberger@tntech.edu if you plan to attend and what region you expect to work in so that the workshop may highlight those species.

 

Workshop IV:  Basic Fish ID and ecology of West Tennessee fishes (Wed AM, 8:00 – 12:00)

  • Instructor:  Michael Clark, Tom Blanchard
  • Max number of attendees: 20
  • Cost for attendance:
    • Professionals: $25
    • Students: Free

This course will focus on identification of freshwater fishes typically found in West Tennessee. The workshop will highlight species unique to the low-gradient streams and wetlands of West Tennessee and important invasive species of rivers and reservoirs of the region.

 

 

Officer Nominations

Send nominations to Nominations and Awards Chair, Aaron Burch, alburch123@gmail.com by January 10, 2025.

The Tennessee Chapter of the American Fisheries Society is soliciting nominations for the following Chapter officer positions: 

  • President-elect 

 

 

Award Nominations

Our membership is full of dedicated professionals, and it’s time to recognize them for their efforts! Please review the award criteria below and send nominations to Aaron Burch, alburch123@gmail.com by Dec 6, 2024. Applications should be limited to one page.

  • Lifetime Achievement Award 
    • Nominee should either be retired or within five years of retirement and have had a long history of significant contributions. 
  • Outstanding Fisheries Scientist 
    • To be bestowed on the biologist in their early to mid-career for making significant contributions in the past year or over several years. 
  • Distinguished Service Award 
    • To be bestowed on individuals that served as a Chapter officer for more than five years or served the chapter as chair of a long-standing Chapter committee for more than five years. 
  • Friends of Fisheries Award 
    • This award shall be made to non-Chapter member(s) who have distinguished themselves by service or commitment to the Chapter or the fisheries resources of Tennessee.

 

2025 TNAFS Tentative Meeting Schedule

All times in Central Time Zone

  • Monday, February 3
    • There is a block of rooms set aside for members on February 3rd that are attending workshops on Tuesday morning.
  • Tuesday, February 4
    • 7:30 – 5:30 Registration open
    • 8:00 – 12:00 Workshop I : Aquatic Macroinvertebrates
                               Workshop II: eDNA Part 1
    • 1:00 – 4:30 Workshop I: Aquatic Macroinvertebrates
                             Workshop II: eDNA Part 2
    • 6:00 – TBD Informal Social (Tentative fish-fry in the park)
  • Wednesday, February 5
    • 7:30 – 5:00 Registration open
    • 8:00 – 12:00  Workshop III: Mussel Identification
                                Workshop IV: Basic Fish ID
    • 1:00 – 6:30 Oral and Poster Presentations
                            Business Meeting
    • 6:30 – 10:00 Banquet, Auction, Awards
  • Thursday, February 6
    • 9:00 – 3:00 Oral Presentations Continued
    • 3:00 Meeting Adjourned

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